Mechanical engineering students at the University of Debrecen can now acquire the most cutting-edge knowledge thanks to the new Krones Hungary Machine Design Laboratory, established through collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and Krones Hungary Kft. The modern unit, equipped with advanced computers, software, and measuring instruments, was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Faculty’s Ótemető Street building, in the presence of university and company officials.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Engineering (DE MK) has maintained a close partnership with Krones Hungary Kft., a company that has been manufacturing beverage packaging machines in Debrecen since 2019. The German company has actively supported education at DE MK, with its experts participating in both BSc and MSc mechanical engineering programs and offering internships. Since 2022, they have been teaching an elective course titled “Krones – Introduction to the World of Food Industry Machinery,” which provides students with insight into the daily operations of a large corporation and the fundamentals of custom machine and production line design.
The latest milestone in this cooperation is the creation of the Krones Hungary Machine Design Laboratory, which features a digital smartboard, ergonomic workstations, computer-aided design (CAD) stations, specialized measuring instruments for technical drawing, and manual drafting tools. This setup creates an industrial-like learning environment, allowing students to use modern tools and software for subjects such as technical drawing, CAD, mechanical structures, and engineering simulation. Thanks to the lab, 100-120 students per semester will now receive training with cutting-edge technology.
At the opening ceremony, Zoltán Bács, Chancellor of the University of Debrecen, emphasized the strong relationship between the university and industry, crediting both the university’s model change and Debrecen’s industrial growth.
“Hungarian higher education has broken free from the constraints it faced after the regime change. As a result, both the university and its industrial partners can now operate in a completely different manner,” he stated.
Bács also highlighted that the university is expecting applications for 8,600 state-funded places by the February 15 deadline, compared to last year’s 6,400 enrollments. Including self-funded and international students, the institution plans to admit over 10,000 new students this year.
Zoltán Kocsis, Managing Director of Krones Hungary, emphasized the importance of highly skilled professionals in a successful company, stating:
“The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Debrecen is especially important to us because we employ 40 engineers designing custom machinery, most of whom graduated from this faculty. Our experience shows that they come with a strong foundation that we can build upon.”
He added that the goal of establishing the laboratory was to equip instructors and students with high-quality, modern tools for education.
Debrecen’s Mayor, László Papp, spoke about the city’s historic economic development, stating that the past decade has brought unprecedented growth, which might only occur once in a century.
“Krones was the first company to settle in the city’s Southern Economic Zone. It was a bold decision to transform a few hundred hectares of pastureland into an industrial park. When we first negotiated with Krones, cows were still grazing on that land. Today, they provide employment and future prospects for over 700 people.”
Géza Husi, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, pointed out that while Debrecen was traditionally an agrarian city, the technical and manufacturing industries have rapidly advanced.
“Today’s inauguration is a major milestone for us. If Krones can develop its products at a world-class level, then our students can also learn world-class product development here. This lab closely resembles what they use in the factory.”
Husi also noted that the faculty now boasts an outstanding infrastructure that fully supports its three-tier education system: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
The head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tamás Mankovits, recalled that when he joined the Faculty in 2007, one of his tasks was to introduce CAD software into the curriculum. The chosen program was the same one Krones heavily utilizes, so when he learned in 2019 that Krones was coming to Debrecen, he was thrilled about the potential for enhanced education.
“That hope has since become reality. We now have an on-site machine design department at Krones, they have joined our dual education program, and they actively support various faculty events.”
The event also highlighted that the collaboration between the faculty and Krones will continue, with Krones serving as the main sponsor of the 37th National Scientific Student Conference’s Technical Science Section, which will be held at the Faculty of Engineering from April 23–25, 2025.
(unideb.hu)
